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Entries in milk (2)

Thursday
Aug262010

Vitamin D Deficiency Ups Risk of Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis, Diabetes, and Cancers

Just about the only time most of us notice vitamin D is when we see it on a milk cartoon and even then we’re oblivious to it, but growing research says that maybe we shouldn’t be.

A study published earlier this week in Genome Research has mapped out the points where vitamin D interacts with our DNA. It also looked at how a deficiency of the vitamin in the body can increase the risk of a number of chronic conditions and illnesses.

  

Deficiencies in vitamin D can contribute to lower insulin production, which can exacerbate type-1 diabetes, sometimes called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. This is a chronic condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin.

Overall, vitamin D works in several ways. Dr. Allen C. Bowling, a neurologist at the Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center, said, “It’s well known that vitamin D works to promote calcium absorption (which is why it’s in milk) for strong bones. However, recent research also suggests that vitamin D may have important effects on the immune system, and may help regulate cell growth and differentiation.

“In studies of immune cells, vitamin D shows anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, a prior large ten-year study found that women who took vitamin D supplements were 40% less likely to multiple sclerosis.”

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Friday
Mar192010

Closing in Loopholes in Organic Meat and Dairy Regulations

A modern dairy farm. Photo courtesy of TriangleJr.com – North Carolina Child Care & Family Resource.

What do we expect when we see that green and white USDA organic label on meat and dairy products? We expect that those animals are treated humanely; allowed to graze on open pastures; and not given poor quality feed with synthetic filler, hormones, and antibiotics.

For the most part, this is what we’ve gotten every since the National Organic Program went into effect a decade ago, requiring that animals be given access to outside pastures.

The festering problem in the industry has always been the regulation’s vaguely written language. The National Organic Coalition has complained that, “in recent years, it has become clear that some organic dairies have been permitted to sell milk as ‘organic’ even though the cows have not had access to pasture.

“When challenged about why they are permitting some dairy operations to skirt the pasture standards, the USDA’s National Organic Program has stated that the regulation is too vague for them to adequately enforce.”

In response to widespread protest - from consumers, organic certifiers, public interest groups, and dairy producers who comply with the rule - the USDA opened the issue for public and industry input to amend the regulation.

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